It was bound to happen... the neighbors got a quick preview...

[91W350]

I went to Salt Lake City and picked up my second M1009. Since it came to Salina, my buddy from Boulder has been driving it and staying out at the lake. He came to town Monday evening and we went out to eat, yesterday for a few minutes, they were both in my driveway. I was surprised at how close the camo pattern is on the two.

Yesterday we took the Missouri version on a 300 miles trip around Kansas. My buddy wanted to see some of the stuff I had been talking about.... another Kansas Tour to follow... Glen

 

[91W350]

I had been telling him about the Prospect Park Ranch, a beautiful stone house and barns out in the middle of nothing... I would love to call this place home! If you get in the area and want to visit, it is south of Chapman, then east on 2000 road.

The short dude there is my locker partner from high school. He left Salina and went to college in Colorado, from there he slid into a Colorado State Trooper's position and now has retired.

 

[91W350]

The place has several interesting outbuildings on it. The two larger barns are a testament to the quality of the original builds. These barns are designed to drive the feed wagons in the second story and to gravity feed the livestock below. Obviously they are still strong enough to support a couple of modern tractors. The walls are in very good shape, the roof jobs were done by a friend of mine. When he tried to explain the location to me, I described it for him.

 

[91W350]

We stumbled across this huge barn nearby, I had been here before, but yesterday, I stopped for a photo.

The equipment drive caught my attention, pretty unusual. Obviously built off of a truck axle with the left drive tube stetched out and the right tube sectioned.

 

[USAWEAPON777]

cool! looked like a neat trip. I like the home engineering on the farm equipment

 

[91W350]

cool! looked like a neat trip. I like the home engineering on the farm equipment

I love that stuff! That one appeared to be designed to pull behind a wagon or flatbed and elevate bales to the truck bed, using the tire as drive for the elevator. They had also rigged up a hydraulic pump to raise and lower the elevator.

I took him to Diamond Springs, this is a very historic spot in Kansas, the first major watering hole on the Santa Fe Trail west of Council Grove. This is private property and you will find a lot of conflicting stories on its location on the web. I will try to simplify this spot's location for you and clear of some of the confusion. Diamond Springs, the spring, is south of White City. The easiest way to find it is to drive on US 56 between Herington and Council Grove. When you get to the White City turn off, instead of going north on the blacktop road, go south on the dirt road. Enter through the Diamond Springs Ranch gate and stop at the ranch office, a mobile home on the north side of the driveway. Just ask if it is okay to go down and visit the spring.

The confusion comes from the Railroad passing through this area and naming a station "Diamond Springs." There was a small settlement there and it is close to the Diamond Creek, however, it is a far cry from the famous spring. I would highly recommend taking the road from the now ghost town of Diamond Springs down to US 50, the beauty of the Flint Hills does not disappoint you at all, at least it never has me. That road by the way is.... Diamond Creek Road and it zig zags back and forth across Diamond Creek. You will find that there are very few intersections, like three in that 20 or so miles.

The spring has been captured and now flow into a holding tank, from which the ranch pumps water for remote watering tanks. The spring produces all the water the ranch can possibly use and sends a lot of water downstream. I wish I could have seen it like it was, but I understand that the ranch is making the best of the resource at hand. The concrete tank has an in spout and a leveling drain tube. It is pretty obvious how much water flow there is here.

Glen

 

[91W350]

We took the Diamond Creek Road south to the last intersection before US 50 and turned west. The reason for this west bound trip is the beautiful Diamond Creek Stone Arch Bridge. Rated at 3 tons, it is in danger of going down. Incredible floods have badly damaged the north side. It still stands though, a testament to its 1880s build.

 

[91W350]

I took him south to US 50 then west to the ghost town of Clements. There are still some nice homes in the area, but the old city of Clements is done. The bridge is just south of Clements. Since I was here last they have ripped off some of the cap stones and used them to block the south end of the bridge. The road surface on top of the bridge has deteriorated and it is now leaking through the bridge, allowing freeze/thaw damage to occur to the keystones in the arches. It is a sad thing to watch happen, but its doom is coming. It has withstood many ravaging floods, some very powerful ones in recent years and some of the base stones on the south side of the south arch have started falling out. It will be a sad day when it goes, it has been one heck of a landmark since they built it in 1886. Glen

 

[91W350]

The next stop is another spring, I know it only as the artesian well. You will find people here from over 100 miles away filling up water jugs. It is tested frequently and is pretty close to pure water. When I first saw this about 35 years ago, it was a bare pipe sticking out over the grader ditch. Since then they have covered the pipe and built first a gravel walkway to the pipe and now concrete and brick. Years ago it was not unusual to find six pickups or tractor, or even guys on horses stopped for the local verion of the coffee shop. For years there was a row of cups hanging on the fence wire until some kids perforated them with .22 rifles. Since then there always seems to be a stainless steel cup or ladle hanging there, just in case you do not have your own jug and need a drink. It will fill a two gallon water jug in about three seconds. The actual amount of water flowing out of the pipe is pretty decetpive. I had to take a couple of bottles with me.

To find the well, go south off of US 50 from Cedar Point. When you get to the LLL Ranch perimeter fence, turn left at that T intersection. The road will wind south, east, south, east and you will come to a four way intersection, the first one you will come to and one of very few in this county, turn south and watch the west side of the roadway. The well is on the north side of a concrete box bridge. From the Clements bridge go south and stay right at the Y, then turn west at the next intersection, when you get to the four way intersection turn south and look on the west side of the road. I cannot remember, but I think that is D Road.

 

[91W350]

Well.... It is bedtime for this Kansas Traveler, I will post some more photos tomorrow if anybody would like me to continue. One never knows if you guys enjoy these photo tour or not. We visited the Florence Spring, the Buffalo Corrals and Tom Smith's grave among other locations I have shared with you in previous posts. Glen

 

[91W350]

We visited the Florence Spring, the 99.97% pure spring water... I posted photos of the water tower in the past and will include one here. The spring is unadvertised and on private property, leased to the city. I am betting in a couple of years when the lease is up, the dollar value will go up. To find the spring, go north from US 50 and Marion Street on the north side of Florence. Follow the road past the cemetery and keep moving north. If you look off to the east as you round a curve, you can see the white spring house in the trees. There is a modular style home on the corner that leads to the spring and that road could pass for a private driveway. Follow the road back to the spring house and enjoy the serenity. This is an almost magical place to visit. Glen

 

[gunner01]

I would love to go on that sightseeing trip someday...... nice pics, thx for sharing

 

[4x4 Forever]

Congrats on the 'Twins'!!!

The stone bridge really intrigues me. I was working up in Bossier City, LA from 96 to 99. We tied up 200' north of an old RR swing bridge there that was built back in the 1860's. Until we came through it had not been opened since the 70's. They had to hand crank it open, took 14 hours... After the second big boat come through, they hooked up a briggs reduction engine to it, now takes 45 minutes!

Thanks for sharing the pics and info!

 

[91W350]

Gunner01, if you ever find yourself coming my way, let me know. I would gladly make that run again, I love those places.

4x4 Forever, I would love to see one of those work, I have read of them, but never seen one. I am pretty sure Kansas does not have one!

I skipped the District 34 1896 Schoolhouse, it is just north of US 50 between Cedar Point and Florence, very hard to miss this one!

 

[91W350]

Tom "Bear River" Smith, the famous Town Marshall or Abilene Police Chief.

Abilene's Tom Smith

His tombstone took me a long time to find. The description I had of it was far different from reality. It can be found in the southern third of the Abilene cemetery off of Old US 40 and in about the thrid row from the east side. Quite the story and one heck of a man.... Good with a gun, but apparently excellent with his fists.

 

[91W350]

In my quest to find historic Kansas Springs, I stumbled onto this very unusual place and I cannot find any reference to it at all. The only history I can find is with the owner of the property. He said the Buffalo Soldiers out of Ft Riley built this huge stone corral to store horses along the military trail heading west from the Fort. The amount of work this took has to be enormous, I just cannot imagine the man and horse hour involved. They have removed most of the interior walls, but the outer walls are pretty much still there. This is close to Kansas Falls and only the third time I have found the gate open. Enjoy....

That M1009 sure draws a crowd!!! Glen

 

[4x4 Forever]

4x4 Forever, I would love to see one of those work, I have read of them, but never seen one. I am pretty sure Kansas does not have one!

Heres a link to a pic of the bridge. It is located crossing the Red River between Shreveport and Bossier City.

Historic Bridges of the U.S. | Shreveport Railroad Bridge

 

[91W350]

Thanks for the link, should I ever get down that way, I will be sure to take it in.

I see that the distance in the photos of the Buffalo Corral had erroded the impressive size of it. That wall in the hill is all hand laid stone and about 30 feet tall in spot, just an incredible feat. I am disappointed with the photos I took. Glen